Safety attachment for moving-picture machines.



C. E. MORTON.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT POR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 14,511.25, 1910. RENEWBD Nov. 5, 1912.

1,061,101. Patnted May 6, 1913.

[ 2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

C. E. MORTON. Y. SAFETY ATTACHMENT POR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES. APPLIOATION FILED M1126, 1910. BENEWED Nov. 5. 1912.'

1,061,101, Patented May 6, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MORTON, 0F EDWABDSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY -ATTACHMENT FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedyMay e, `1,913.

Application led March 26, 1910, Serial No..551,725. Renewed November 5, 1912. Serial No. 729,658.

for moving picture machines or the like,

and has for an object to rovide means for automatically cutting o such portion of the film that is disposed between the two spools so that' after such portion of the film which is disposed lbetween the reels may become accidentally i nited further burning of the film at points eyond the feed mechanism will be prevent-ed.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which likenumerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views z-Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a portion of a moving picture machine showing my improved mechanism in its applied position thereto. Fig. 2 is a vtop plan view of the ltop plate of my safety device. Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of a portion of the machine showing the front plate of my safety device appliedl thereto..

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the fusible element.

The moving picture machine herein illustrated can be of any desired type and a detail description thereof willl not b e given, but it may be stated that the machine supports the film spools 1 and 2 which are suitably spaced from each other to accommodate the take-up and feedin mechanism 3. The spoolsare mounted pre erably in metal casings 4 which are slotted to receive the film AQ My improved safety attachment consists of a su port 4 which is hingedly connected at its ibrward end to bracket members' 5. The bracket members extend inwardly from that portionof the machine formingV the frame or su port for the spool 1. The said support 4 as formed therein a slot 6 for receiving the film A, and immediately above the slot and mounted on the support 4 for longitudinal adjustment is a plate 7 in which is formed a slot which is adapted `to register with the slot 6. The plate 7 is pro-- revolving pressing roller`11 which yis normally held against the roller' 9 by means of a suitable retractile spring 12, one end of the said spring being secured to the plate 7, as shown. A shearlng member 13 is mounted o-n the plate 7 and as shown, this member consists'of spaced plates having-theirl inneredge port-ions extending across a portion of the slot in theplate 7.

A cutting knife 14 is pivoted adjacent to one of its ends to the plate 7 andas illustrated, the said knife beinglocated immediately behind the film-guiding slot in the plate 7. This knife is formed at its ends t0 provide arms 15 and 16. The arm 16 is connected to one end of a flexible element 17 which is guided over pulleys 18 and 19 on the support 4 and which extends downwardly through the su port where it is connected in the eye portion 20 of a fuse wire 21. The opposite end of the said fuse wire is formed to provide an eye 20 which is engaged with a hook 23 which depends from the support. The fusewire 21 has its end portions flattened preferably as shown particularlyin Fig. 4 of the drawings, and in such flattened portions are formed the eyes 2O and 20 respectively. The arm 15 of the knife 14 is connected with one end of a retractile spring 24, the opposite end of this spring being securedto the support so that the knife will be automatically moved across theA film-guiding slot in the' plate 7 upon separation of the fuse wire from the flexible connection of the knife.

.A support 25 is located immediately behindv the spool 2 and in said support is formed a film-receiving slot 26. Directly in front of,this slot the support is provided with film-guiding rollers 27 and 28, vthe former being yieldingly engaged with the latter, as shown. The support 25 carries a shearin member 29 and a pivoted knife 30. The knife 30 is formed to rovide arms 31 and 32 and as illustrated, tiie arm 31 being connected with the arm 16 of the knife 14 by means of a flexible connection 33 which is guided over pulleys 34, one of which is shown in Fig. 2. The arm 32 of the knife 30 is connected with one end of a retractile spring 35, the opposite end of the said spring being secured in any suitable manner to the support 25. I

The construction of the safety device as herein set forth and described is such that should thatl portion of the film which is disposed between the spools 1 and 2 be `ignited the flame will of course be confined between the supports 4 and 25 and incident to the location of the hereinbefore described fusible element the latter will be subjected to the flame and destroyed and automatically re leased from the flexible connection 17. Upon release of the fusible element from the flexible connection 17 the knives 14 and 30 respectively will be moved across the hereinbefore film-guiding slots and into coperation with their shearing heads toefli'ectively sever the exposed portions of the film from such portions that are wound upon the spools 1 and 2. The peculiar construction and design of the fusi le element is such that will ermit the operator of the machine after the utilization of the fusible element to install a new vone without noticeable delay. The fusible elements are inexpensive to manufacture and while forming the essentialfeature of the inventionvare constructed with a view of enabling the operator of a moving picture machine to carry a number of them in his pocket where they may be conveniently had at time of emergency.

I claim .In a safety attachment for moving picture machines, a moving picture machine including the lm magazine and winding reels,

a support pivotally mounted to the machine beneath the magazine reel and provided with a film guiding slot therein, a second support mounted on the front of the machine below the plane of the first support and in line with the-winding reel, the' second support having a film guiding slot therein, a movable knife on each support, springs operatively connected with the knives and tending to move them across the film guide slots, a hook located beneath the first support and located in rear of the film as the latter leaves the guiding slot in said first support, a fuse disposed beneath the first support and having one of its ends fitted to the said hook, and a flexible element having oneof its ends secured to the opposite end of the fuse, the said element being movably extended over the first support and connected with the knife thereon and then extended downwardly over the first support and connected with the knife of the second support whereby both of the knives are held against the tension of the said springs.

In testimon whereof I afx my signature in'presence o two witnesses.

CHARLES E. MORTON.

Witnesses:

W. R. CRossMAN, Gno. BUCHTA. 

